Home
by Syd-Don't
Summary: Sometimes home isn't a place. Sometimes, it's more than just four walls with all the things in between. Sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's a feeling, and sometimes you think you've lost it right before you find it again. In the end, it's all a part of growing up, and figuring out where you want to fit into the world. Clexa. High School Soccer AU. Side Raven/Octavia.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Hey everyone! Welcome to the first fanfiction I've written in years. Hope you enjoy! :) Review if you like it! Review if you don't like it! Review if you just want to say hi! All feedback is great.**

* * *

Chapter 1 - Senior Year

Out of all the seasons, if Clarke had to pick one, fall was usually her favorite. She loved the way the warm nights of summer slowly gave way to the crisp bite of the later autumn months. Even though it was the last half of the year, there was something new about fall after the stagnation of summer. It was like a fresh start.

This year was a little too fresh for her, however. They had moved over the summer, for a start, farther away from her home than she had ever been. Clarke had lived in Boston in the same house with the same furniture, and squeaky floorboards, and wallpaper, and grape juice stain on her carpet for her entire life. She had been sure that she would bring her children back to sleep in her old room and to play on the swing set her father had built her when she was five, but all of that had changed in an instant. Now they lived in dreary, cold, Seattle, Washington, where it rained nine months out of the year and nothing was familiar. It wasn't the fresh start Clarke had been hoping for in her senior year of high school.

"You know, if you aren't careful your face might stick that way," her mother chastised her lightly as she brooded over her bowl of cereal.

She still hadn't forgiven her mother for leaving her job as Boston Medical to move them across the country. Abby had insisted that what they both needed was a fresh start, but Clarke couldn't have disagreed more. She should be surrounded by her friends, the ones who had known her all her life, not a bunch of strangers. Her friends back home would understand not to ask about the scar on her face that was still pink and healing, they wouldn't ask questions about who she was, or where she came from, they would just _know_. That was what she needed right now.

Her mother had needed something else, however, and that was how they ended up here. Abby had decided she couldn't continue to live among the reminders of her husband's absence. Clarke would have been less upset if they hadn't gotten rid of most of her father's things before moving, but they had downsized to a two bedroom apartment in the University district. She had fought her mother on every little book and trinket until one day she had come home and her mother had tossed everything her father used to own save for a few items.

"That's what I was hoping for," Clarke answered. Maybe if her face stuck this way people would just let her fade into the background instead of asking questions she wasn't ready to answer. "This is stupid, can't I just get my GED and do community college?"

"Absolutely not," Abby replied, not even looking up from the article she was reading. Clarke went back to picking at her cereal. It had been worth a try. "Come on, Clarke. It's only one year, and then you can go off to college, and never speak to me again."

"Sounds like a great idea," Clarke grunted, getting up to put her bowl in the dishwasher. "I'm glad you've got my whole life planned out for me. Let me know how that goes, okay?"

Abby put down her newspaper to shoot her daughter a serious look. "I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that. Just give it a chance, okay? Polis Academy is supposed to be a terrific magnet school for the sciences, and it wasn't easy to get you in. Plus, they have a great soccer team, you love soccer!"

Clarke gave her mother deadpan look. She had loved soccer, up until she had gotten in the car accident that had left her on crutches for months. Now she didn't even know if she could play anymore, not that she even wanted to. Soccer had been her and her father's thing. "Seriously? When was the last time you saw me kick a soccer ball around, mom? I'm not joining their team, especially not for the last year of high school."

"Well that's too bad because I signed you up already," Abby said briskly. She stood up after checking her watch, and began gathering the things she needed for her first day at work.

"Mom!" Clarke couldn't believe her mother had gone behind her back like that. Was that even legal?

"As much as you like to pretend, you are still my daughter," Abby said as die stuffed papers into her briefcase. She fixed Clarke with a serious look again. "You will go to all of your classes today, you will go to tryouts after school today, and I will _not_ be receiving any phone calls from your principal saying otherwise, do I make myself clear?"

Clarke groaned. Her mother was such a hardass sometimes. "Fine."

"I'm serious, Clarke." Abby said. She grabbed her travel mug, and hugged her daughter, planting a kiss on top of the blondes head despite her protests. "I know the last year has been hard for you, it's been hard for both of us, but I won't just stand in the wings and watch you waste your life away. It's time to live again."

Clarke sighed, and hugged her mother back finally. She also had this annoying habit of being right most of the time. "Okay Dr. Phil, I promise. No skipping class, or your wholesome after school activities. I'll show up okay, but I can't promise I'll make the team."

Abby gave her daughter one last squeeze before grabbing her keys and bag. "I can't wait to hear about it tonight, I'll be home late, but I still want to hear about, okay?" She pulled a crisp twenty from her wallet and handed it to Clarke on her way out the door. "Get something healthy for dinner, no junk food."

"Sure mom."

"And don't be late for school!" Abby called from the hallway as the door shut behind her.

* * *

"Lex. Lexa! LEXA!"

"What?" The brunette answered curtly. She pulled an earbud from the ear closest to Octavia, and eyed the other girl. Raven and Octavia both ogled back at her from across the table. She had been sitting in the quad waiting for classes to start at one of the picnic tables that were spread across the grassy area. The weather was fair today, not too warm, but not raining either. A perfect day for tryouts in her opinion.

"We've been trying to get your attention for _ever_ ," Octavia wined.

"You just sat down," Lexa pointed out. She looked back down at the playbook she had been pouring over earlier.

"Okay fine, I've been trying to get your attention for the last thirty seconds. Who cares about the semantics?" Octavia said, rolling her eyes. "Either way, put your little black book away, and talk to us."

"I'm kind of in the middle of something," Lexa protested. She scribbled a note in the top corner of one of the pages.

Both Raven and Octavia scoffed in unison, and Raven reached out to flip the book closed on the other girl before she could protest. Lexa frowned, and looked back up.

"What could the wonder twins want that is more important than letting me plan our victory at state this year?" She wondered out loud. She wasn't looking for an answer, but she was sure she would get one. She put the playbook in her bag. She had known Raven and Octavia since they were twelve, and she knew there was no getting rid of them. It had gotten even worse once they had started dating, they just teamed up on her now.

They had all met at a soccer camp one summer and, as Octavia liked to put it, had been the best of friends ever since. It only made it harder to get rid of them when they all ended up at the same High School. She was just glad she had ended up with Raven as her roommate, instead of Octavia. She was far less annoying. Lexa supposed they were the closest thing she had to real friends, though, which made it even harder to get rid of them once they had gotten her to admit it. She was fairly fond of her teammates, she had to admit, even if they drove her up the wall most of the time. They were a few of the only other dormers who stuck around for the summer too.

"Oh, give it a rest," Raven said. She gave Lexa a playful shove from across the table. "You know with O and I around, we'll never lose." Octavia nodded along with her girlfriend's words.

"That's right," she added. "Plus, you have all year to plan that shit."

Lexa rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I suppose, but it never hurts to be prepared. Besides, we have a lot of spaces to fill. I want to know what we need to look for when picking newbies this year."

Raven and Octavia exchanged a knowing look before looking back at Lexa. The grins on their faces made her feel uneasy, they looked far too happy about something. "What? Did I miss something?" She asked, beginning to get exasperated. "Is there something on my face? Why on Earth do you two have those stupid grins on your faces?"

"There's a new girl," Octavia finally let slip.

"So?" Lexa was surprised she hadn't strangled Octavia at this point in their friendship. "Is it Brandi Chastain, and is she trying out? Because I don't really care otherwise."

"She _is_ trying out," Octavia continued. She ignored Lexa's obvious exasperation.

"We looked her up," Raven said, getting to the point. She knew Octavia loved getting under Lexa's skin, but she'd rather not run extra laps when Lexa took it out on them later. "Her team won state for the last two years in Massachusetts, and she was voted team VIP both years."

"Position?"

"Midfield." Raven replied, that same obnoxious grin back on her face. There was definitely something going on, and Lexa had no interest in finding out what it was. She generally tried to steer clear of Raven and Octavia's schemes, although she was rarely successful in avoiding them. No matter how hard she tried to not be involved, they always managed to pull her in one way or another.

Lexa hummed under her breath. They needed a decent midfielder, though. They hadn't had a good one one since ﹘ Lexa's eyes narrowed, she hoped they weren't planning to set her up.

"Games started? Shooting percentage? Points, shots, ejections?" She asked.

Whatever their plan was, she was going to make sure it wasn't successful. They knew she had sworn off dating until after she graduated. This was the year to throw herself into soccer, and there was no way in hell she was going to let the two of them distract her. She was going to take the team to state, and then on to win nationals, and then she was going to get scouted by the school of her dreams, that was it. She needed the scholarship money if she was going to go to college at all.

"Uh, 25?" Octavia said, looking to Raven for support. Raven just shrugged at her. "We may have gotten distracted by the time we look at her stats…"

"Unbelievable," Lexa muttered. Raven at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. Octavia just grinned wickedly. "Does this mysterious midfielder have a name?"

"There she is now," Octavia answered. She nodded her head in the direction of the parking lot.

Lexa noticed she didn't actually answer her question, but she casually glanced over her shoulder anyway. She was mildly interested, if only for the purpose of sizing this mysterious new girl up before tryouts later. Her eyes fell on a scowling blonde wearing a black jacket. Interesting. She looked back at Raven and Octavia.

"Well?" Octavia said, drawing the word out like she had gotten stuck on the E. She looked far too eager in Lexa's opinion.

"Well, what?" She said. She looked at the time on her phone, and began packing up her school bag. Class was going to start soon, and she still needed to stop by her locker before first period.

"What do you think?" Octavia demanded. She was leaning so far forward across the table that if Lexa were to lean forward just a little, they would be nose to nose. Raven laughed, and pulled her girlfriend back into a seated position.

"Give her a break, O," She said. Lexa sent a silent "thank you" across the table.

Lexa finished packing up, and stood up. She glanced back towards the parking lot to try and catch another glimpse of the blonde but she was gone.

"Interesting," she responded finally to Octavia's question She was still staring at the spot the blonde had been standing.

Raven laughed as Octavia groaned in frustration. "Seriously? That's it?"

She spun on her heel without another word and walked away from her friends, a small smirk on her face. Let Octavia stew over that all morning, she had other places for her mind to be, and there was no way she was going to let anything distract her. Not even the cute new girl.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long waiting time between chapters. There have been a lot of deadlines at work, but hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up faster now that they are over. I tried to make this one good and long to make up for it! Thanks to everyone who Favorited/reviewed/followed the story! I hope it continues to live up to your expectations! Enjoy :)**

 **Chapter 2 - September Part 2**

* * *

Clarke had never seen a school that looked quite like Polis Academy. When her mother first told her she would be spending her senior year in Seattle she had envisioned a regular school in the middle of the city. They were still in the city, although it was a much more suburban area than the University District where Clarke and her mother lived, but the second she stepped onto Polis's camps, she felt like she was surrounded by the forest. The winding drive that took her through the campus and towards the academic buildings was flanked on both sides with some of the densest, biggest trees Clarke had ever seen. She was glad she had taken the earlier bus.

After walking for what seemed like forever through the quiet campus, the trees finally gave way to several impressive brick, gothic style buildings. In the center was a large grassy quad where she could already see some students waiting around for classes to start. She crossed what she assumed was probably the student parking lot, and came to a stop at the edge of the grass. She frowned. She was supposed to find the office and check in for some sort of buddy program for new students, but she wasn't so sure she wanted a buddy. Having someone tag along with her all day sounded awkward. She really wasn't looking to assimilate into student culture anyway. She was just trying to make it through her senior year, and she had no problem doing that alone.

People were already beginning to stare as she stood at the edge of the grass. She noticed a brunette girl staring at her from a table across the lawn. Clarke scowled. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid. She noticed the girl's friend glance over her shoulder too. She locked eyes briefly with the stone faced girl, but she turned away before Clarke could really get a good look at her. She found herself slightly perplexed as she watched the trio continue whatever conversation they were having. She felt weird now. She had already been feeling strange about starting at a new school her senior year, but this was a different kind of strange.

Ever since the accident, Clarke had felt mostly angry; sad at times, hopeless yes, but she hadn't really _felt_ anything else for the last year beyond those things. Her mother sent her to her therapist friend while they were still living back in Boston like that was going to make a difference, but it hadn't. She had just gotten better at fooling the people around her. She wasn't even sure what this new emotion she was suddenly feeling was. She barely even made eye contact with this girl, and suddenly all of her anger about how stupid this whole thing was dissipated. It left her feeling raw, and she didn't like it. She hiked her soccer bag back up onto her shoulder from where it had slid and walked off towards one of the buildings.

She pulled out the class schedule they had sent her, intending on finding her first class but she quickly realized that navigating this school without someone who knew what they were doing might be harder than she anticipated. She already had no idea what building she had entered, or how the rooms were numbered. She also didn't know which locker was hers, and unless she wanted to haul around both her book bag and soccer bag all day, she was going to need to figure that out too. They had probably planned to give her that information when she checked in at the office. Clarke groaned and kicked one of the lockers to her left. This was already turning into more of a hassle than it was worth.

"First day?" Someone asked behind her. She spun around. It was the girl from the quad who had looked over her shoulder earlier.

She was leaning casually against the lockers behind Clarke wearing a neutral expression, although Clarke could have sworn she saw a twinkle of amusement in the other girl's eyes. They both stared at each other, Clarke studying the brunette as if she wanted to leave no rock unturned. She was slightly taller than Clarke, with a slim athletic build and long dark hair. They made eye contact briefly. Clarke felt her breath hitch in her throat as the brunette gave her one of the most intense looks she had ever received from anyone. She felt like she was being stripped of all of her defenses, like those green eyes could see past her steely gaze into the depths of her soul.

She immediately wanted to dislike the other girl, especially because she had called her out and Clarke hated being called out, but once again she could feel her anger dissipating. It was infuriating in a whole new way. She took a deep breath, and looked away from the other girl's blatant observation. Was she a robot or something? She had never met anyone who had literally zero emotional expression on their face.

"How could you tell?" Clarke asked stiffly. She swallowed, when did her throat get so dry?

"Well, for one, I've never seen you before, and two? That's my locker you're denting in with your foot." The other girl answered nodding to the air vents that were now slightly smashed together where Clarke had kicked them. "Not that I'm not impressed, but you're kind of blocking my way."

Clarke looked down at the locker in question before stepping to the side. The brunette breezed past her, and opened her locker in silence while Clarke stood in the middle of the hallway. Was this girl going to give her directions? Or was she just going to rudely call her out and then leave her to twist in the wind? She was about to stalk away in hopes of finding someone less irritating to get directions from when the other girl spoke up again.

"Do you need directions or something?'" She asked as if reading her mind. She didn't even turn around to look at Clarke, she just kept digging around her locker. "You look kind of lost."

Clarke scowled again. While she had been hoping for help, now that the brunette said it like that, she felt her anger rising all over again. "I am not _lost,_ and I don't need your directions."

"Great." The other girl replied and slammed her locker. She nodded curtly before walking off down the hallway.

Clarke stood rooted to the spot, watching her go. She wanted to kick the locker all over again. The truth was, she really did need directions and she had almost been willing to ask the brunette for help, but then she had to go and damage her pride like that. Clarke didn't like feeling weak, especially in front of someone she didn't know, but now she was stuck.

"Wait," she called out to the brunette. She ran to catch up with the other girl. She really didn't want to have to ask someone else at this point. The brunette stopped to wait for her, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"I thought you didn't need directions," she said as Clarke caught up to her. Clarke rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Well I lied, so sue me," she said. "Look, can you just tell me how to get to the office?"

"Well, you're technically in the wrong building," The brunette informed her. "But I could take you to the right one, if you want."

Clarke had really been hoping the other girl would just give her directions and go on with her day, but she supposed an escort would provide faster results. The hallways were beginning to get busy, and class was probably starting soon. She really didn't feel like being late to her first class, especially with her mother breathing down her back the way she was. Besides, her heart was fluttering in a way she just didn't have time for right now, or at all this year.

"Sure," she said with a shrug. At least this way she only had to talk to one person, instead of possibly getting lost and having to ask someone else for directions.

The brunette nodded, and started off down the hallway again not bothering to wait for Clarke. "So, what's your name, new girl?" she asked once Clarke was walking in stride with her again.

"Are you always this rude to people you don't know?" Clarke asked, frowning.

"Are you always this ornery?" The other girl glanced at Clarke out of the corner of her eye and smirked again. Clarke couldn't stop herself from glancing over at the other girl at the same time and tracing her lips with her eyes as she smirked. She couldn't stop sneaking looks at the other girl as they walked. God, what the hell was wrong with her right now?

Clarke sighed. "Clarke." she offered. "And before you ask any other questions, don't."

"Lexa," she said back. The brunette chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Am I just supposed to assume you fell from the sky?"

They walked through a breezeway into another building. Clarke saw a sign sticking out from the wall a little farther down the hallway that said, "Office". She wished she had been paying more attention to where Lexa had taken her, and less attention on the brunette herself. If she wasn't so hell bent on getting out of high school as quickly and painlessly as possible, she might have thought the other girl was kind of cute, but that wasn't something Clarke was here for. She had a boyfriend back home, Finn, who she had broken up with when they moved, but it was more of a break really, between now and college. They had it all planned out, they were applying to the same schools and everything. Clarke just had to make it through this one year, and then things could go back to normal.

"Sure, if that's what you want to believe," she said. They stopped outside the office. "Thanks for the help, I guess."

They stood in silence for a beat, both sizing up the other while the rest of the student body passed by before Lexa broke the silence. "Well, good luck then, Clarke of the Sky People." She winked at Clarke. "See you around."

Clarke let out a snort of laughter as Lexa spun on her heel and marched off, disappearing into the crush of students who were now occupying the hallways. Clarke watched her go, although she couldn't really explain to herself why she was so mesmerized by the rude brunette. She felt a little dazed. She tore her eyes away from the hallway, and turned to walk into the office.

She checked in with the office lady, who directed her to wait over in the offices small waiting area. It didn't take long before she saw a dark haired boy entered the office, and get directed over in her direction. "Hi!" He said brightly, extending a hand out to Clarke in greeting. "My name is Monty, I'll be showing you around today."

"Clarke," she responded. She shook his hand. Monty seemed nice enough, he was certainly less rude than Lexa.

"Nice to meet you, Clarke! Um, classes are starting soon so, do you want me to show you your locker so you can drop some of your stuff off?"

Clarke nodded, and got up to follow Monty out of the office. As much as she had wanted to draw into herself and avoid social interaction with anyone, it was proving to be more difficult in reality then it was in theory. At least Monty seemed nice, and he didn't ask too many prying questions as they walked down the hall. He seemed happy enough with her vague answers.

"Your mom sounds like an intense woman," he commented as she finished telling him about her mother uprooting them for her new job. She had left out the part about her father's death. "She must really be passionate about what she does to move across the country for it."

"Yeah, she loves what she does." Clarke said, shoving her soccer bag into her locker and slamming the door. "Sometimes I think she's happier at work than she is when she has to come home and be domestic."

Her father had always been the one who cooked them dinner, or took her to soccer practice. He had been the one to help her with her homework, and give her advice about her friendships and relationships. He had always provided a buffer between her and her mother, and acted as the middle man when they butted heads, she was at a loss for what to do without him honestly. So many things had changed in her life and she felt like she had no one to confide in any more.

Monty nodded sympathetically. "I get that. My parents both work for the UW research facility out in the San Juans, so I don't see them very much. That's why I dorm here, it just makes it easier."

"I wish my mom had just let me live in the dorms," Clarke grumbled. She had brought it up as an option, but Abby had promptly shut her down. She seemed to think it wouldn't be worth it for just a year, but Clarke could beg to differ.

"It's not as fun as it sounds," Monty said with a laugh. "We have strict curfews and dorm parents. It's pretty similar to living at home for the most part."

They set off down the crowded hallway. "What class do you have first?" Monty asked.

Clarke pulled out the printed sheet, and scanned the grid on it. "AP Chem?"

"Oh cool! My roommate Jasper is in that class. He's a nice guy, you'll like him."

"What do _you_ have first?" Clarke asked. She was starting to feel nervousness in place of her earlier anger. She had never been the new kid before. She had always known at least one person in all of her classes. Now she wouldn't know anyone unless Lexa was in one of her classes - and now Monty she supposed - but the thought was a little daunting.

"Advanced programming," he replied. He gave Clarke a reassuring smile. "But don't worry, I'll come grab you after class so you don't get lost on the way to your next one."

They stopped outside a lab room. "This is you," Monty said. "I'll see you later, Clarke!"

"Yeah, see you," Clarke said, nodding at Monty before he walked away. She took a deep breath. Maybe this wasn't going to so bad.

* * *

"Interesting? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Octavia scanned the cafeteria for Lexa. It was already halfway through lunch and they still hadn't seen her yet. She scoffed again. "Interesting, my ass."

"You know she's probably avoiding us to work on her play book, right?" Raven asked her girlfriend, who was still diligently searching for their captain in the throng of students that were crowding the lunch room. "She's obsessed. It's her year, just let her be. She probably only said that to get under your skin anyway."

There was a lot Raven had learned about Lexa being her roommate for the last three years. For instance, while Lexa was quiet most of the time, there were subtle differences to her silences. Raven knew the difference between leave me alone, and amused. She knew how to read the tension in their captain's shoulders, she could decipher the different grunts and glares, and she liked to believe that she could read the other girl pretty well at this point. It was hard to tell with Lexa. For as long as they'd known her, she had been like the Fort Knox of information, especially regarding herself.

Despite all of that, Raven had the sneaking suspicion that Lexa actually enjoyed being her roommate more than she let on. It wasn't like she requested Lexa specifically every year to be her roommate, it just happened. She knew it couldn't be luck that they got paired together every year either. Octavia never requested anyone either, and had gone through three different roommates during their three years of high school. She had tried to convince Raven to be her roommate this year in fact, but the taller girl had refused. While she spent most of her time in Octavia's room anyway, it was nice to have her own space. She was sure if they shared a room she would never go to class, or pass any of her classes, which she certainly couldn't risk. If her grades dropped too low, she would lose her scholarships.

Besides, she didn't want to leave Lexa hanging. Even though the other brunette had never expressed it specifically to her, she suspected that Lexa had been the one requesting _her_ all these years. They worked pretty well as roommates, and Raven knew how much Lexa hated the unexpected. She was just flattered that she had been allowed into Lexa's inner circle, or at least that's what she liked to think it was. Keeping Octavia at bay was also another reason she suspected Lexa kept her around, but she certainly wasn't complaining about that. Her girlfriend could be overzealous on her best days.

"I told you she wouldn't go along with your plan anyway," she reminded Octavia. She began eating her girlfriend's fries while she wasn't looking. "Remember last winter? I thought we were going to have to torture her to get her to talk about Costia with us, and then all she had to say was she was done with dating until she was thirty. I don't think she was kidding."

Octavia dropped back down in her seat. "Hey! Stop eating my fries," she said and smacked Raven's hand away from her food. "I know what she said, but do I care? No. She needs to get back on her horse, and I know _just_ the horse for her."

Raven shook her head, laughing to herself. "You're something else, baby. Remind me to never get on your bad side."

Octavia looked pleased, and leaned over to peck Raven on the lips. "You really shouldn't get on my bad side," she said leaning her forehead on the other girls. "I'll fucking kill you, bitch." She kissed the other girl again before returning to what was left of her fries.

"I don't doubt that." Raven said with a laugh. "Just remember, O, she's a lot more sensitive than she let's on. Don't push her if she isn't ready."

"Who's not ready for what?"

Both girls looked up to see Lexa standing over them holding a lunch tray. She raised an eyebrow in question and sat down.

"It's nothing," they both blurted out in unison.

Lexa rolled her eyes. "Why am I so unconvinced that's the case?"

"How's the planning going?" Raven asked, hoping to change the topic. "I didn't think we would be seeing you this period."

"I got hungry," Lexa said with a shrug. She _had_ been hiding out in her secret corner of the library, but she had skipped breakfast that morning to talk tryouts with their coach, Indra, and if she didn't eat now she wasn't sure where she'd get the chance again before tryouts. Besides, she had kind of been hoping to run into Clarke again.

Ever since they had their little interaction before class, Lexa hadn't been able to get the mysterious new girl out of her head. It irritated her. She had worked so hard to build up her walls after Costia. It was her senior year, her last chance to take her team to victory, and she would be damned if she let some girl ruin her chances at nationals again.

She had kind of enjoyed getting under the blonde girl's skin, though. She was cute when she got angry. There was a fire in her eyes that made her want to know more. Just because she had sworn off dating didn't mean she couldn't have friends, right?

"Any more thoughts about the new girl?" Octavia asked slyly, as if reading her mind. Raven elbowed Octavia in the side.

Lexa shrugged and kept eating. She knew her lack of interest in the subject would only fire up Octavia even more.

"Seriously?" Octavia demanded. "Nothing at all?"

Lexa looked up from her food. "Why would you think I have any other thoughts about a girl I've barely met?"

Octavia grinned mischievously. "What do you mean _barely?_ Are you counting the slight eye contact you made this morning as meeting?"

"O," Raven warned.

"I just think it's an interesting choice of words!" Octavia said in her own defense. "Because if you ask me, sizing someone up across the quad is hardly meeting them."

Lexa rolled her eyes and went back to eating her lunch. Octavia stared at her from across the table, her eyes ablaze with intensity as she stared her friend down.

"Hey guys, mind if we sit?" The three girls looked up to see Monty with a familiar blonde in tow. Lexa made the mistake of making eye contact with Octavia, who looked far too happy about this recent turn of events.

"Not at all," Octavia said with a wide grin as Monty and Clarke sat down. "Who's your friend, Monty?"

"Oh! Guys, this is Clarke. She just moved here from Massachusetts. She said she was trying out for soccer, so I thought I'd introduce her to you three. Clarke, this is Octavia, Raven, and -"

"We've already met," Lexa cut in, surprising everyone, even herself. "Hello again, Clarke. I hear the rumor about you falling from the sky is untrue."

"I never said it was a fact," Clarke retorted with a roll of her eyes. "I said you could believe whatever you wanted."

The other three at the table looked shocked at the familiar banter that was unfolding before them. Lexa had never been easy for anyone to talk to, especially when she first met someone. Raven and Octavia had bothered her for long enough that she felt comfortable letting her guard down some what around them, but there weren't many other people who had that effect on her. Even Octavia was at a loss for words, which Lexa was pretty sure was a first.

"Why is everyone staring at me like that?" Clarke asked. Lexa kicked Raven in the ankle under the table.

"Sorry," Raven said with a grimace. She looked at Lexa for some kind of explanation, but was met by a blank look from the other brunette. "Nice to meet you, Clarke. We get kind of intense about new prospects. We lost a lot of seniors last year, so we need all the help we can get. We're shooting for nationals this year."

She elbowed Octavia, who was staring at Lexa like if she looked long enough she would be able to read her mind. "Huh? Oh right! We're super excited to have you trying out! What position do you play?"

Clarke gave them all a weird look at first, but seemed to relax as the awkward moment passed. Lexa watched her quietly from across the table, pretending to be only mildly interested.

"Midfield, but I used to fill in on defense sometimes too, I'm flexible I guess." Clarke replied with a shrug. She only played defense a few times in reality, but she was hesitant to commit fully to midfield right away. She had been off the soccer field for almost over a year now. She wasn't even sure she could run for a full game anymore, let alone sprint back and forth. "What about you guys?"

"I'm a forward, and those two play defense." Octavia said, gesturing to Raven and Lexa. "Raven plays sweeper, and Lex-"

"I am the _goalkeeper_ actually, not defense," Lexa interjected. She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers with a smirk. "I'm good with my hands."

"Yes, well, you're behind me, so what does it matter?" Octavia teased, sticking out her tongue at her friend. "I'm the one who leads us to victory!"

Lexa rolled her eyes. "You'll have to forgive Octavia, she has a big head," she informed Clarke, who laughed as Octavia flung a fry across the table at Lexa's head. Lexa felt a swell of pride for making Clarke laugh. It took a lot of self control to force down the smile that was tugging at her lips. Instead, she clenched her jaw and glared at Octavia as she picked the french fry out of her hair. "You're going to pay for that later."

Raven checked her phone, lunch was about to be over. "What do you guys have next? I have free period."

Clarke had Advanced Drawing, Octavia had English, and Monty was off to Calculus. Lexa however remained silent.

"Lex?" Octavia prodded.

Lexa sighed as everyone looked at her expectantly. "I have a free period."

"Oh shit, why didn't you tell me we had free period together," Raven asked. She reached over and gave Lexa a playful shove. "You trying to get rid of me already, bitch?"

"Maybe I am," Lexa grumbled. "You're just going to talk the whole time, and I'll never get anything productive done."

Raven laughed. "C'mon, you can help me with physics. It'll be fun!"

Lexa rolled her eyes, but made no further protest. It wasn't like Raven didn't see her _all the time_ in their shared room. This was one of those "friend things" that Octavia always scolded her about, she supposed. Friends hung out during free period. She might as well let it happen, Raven was extremely talented at tracking her down when she was trying to be scarce. "Fine."

"Great! We'll see you guys after school then?" Raven asked Octavia and Clarke as the bell rang. She kissed Octavia on the top of the head after both girls nodded. "See you later!"

She threw an arm around Lexa, who was standing with her tray in hand waiting for her. Lexa gave the table a curt nod, making brief eye contact with Clarke who she offered a small smile, before leading the way out of the cafeteria.

After arguing for ten minutes about where to spend the next hour long period, they agreed to hang out in the top corner of the bleachers. It was still warm, and the clouds had broken through just enough that there was even a little sun while they sat there with their homework spread out on their laps. Well, Lexa had her homework out anyway, Raven had her laptop out and was working on mixing a new song. They sat in silence for the first ten minutes of so, Raven humming to herself as she worked with one headphone out.

"So, what was that earlier?" Raven asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lexa replied. She continued to scribble notes on the reading she was doing.

"Bullshit," Raven said, looking up from her computer. " _Oh, we've already met?_ Ring any bells?"

Lexa clenched her jaw. "Did Octavia put you up to this?"

"No, I'm just curious," Raven said with a shrug. "Just haven't heard you joke that easily in a while, is all. You usually dislike new people too, so excuse me for being slightly surprised."

Lexa took a moment to respond, continuing to take notes diligently. "It's not like it's anything special. She was lost, so I showed her where the office was this morning."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You actually helped someone? Out of the goodness in your heart? With no offer in return?" She teased.

Lexa looked up from her reading briefly to raise an eyebrow at her roommate. "Who said there was no offer in return?"

Raven leaned in, a twinkle of excitement in her eyes. "Was there?"

The other brunette just snorted and returned to her reading once again. "No, get your head out of the gutter. And there's nothing else to this story, so drop it."

Raven rolled her eyes and went back to her computer. Lexa relaxed once she was sure her roommate was distracted, but it didn't take long for Raven to put her on the spot once again.

"Where the hell did you hear the rumor she fell from the sky?" She asked. Lexa groaned, and put down her pen.

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you we had the same free period," she said. She set her book, as well as her notebook, down on the bench next to her. "I'll give you three questions, that's it. No more talking for the rest of the period, and _no_ telling Octavia."

Raven considered Lexa's terms for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Deal. Does that count as my first question?"

Lexa nodded. Raven rolled her eyes, "So? Tell me!"

"I don't know who is worse, you or your girlfriend." Lexa grumbled. She knew Raven would probably tell Octavia anyway, despite her agreeing not to. "It was a joke, okay? After I asked her name, she told me not to ask her anything else, so I asked if I was just supposed to assume she fell from the sky. It was stupid."

Raven smirked as she listened. She was definitely going to tell Octavia later. "Aww, you guys already have inside jokes?"

Lexa clenched her jaw and looked away from her roommate, choosing to watch the P.E. class on the field instead. "Shut up. That's two questions, so you only get one more."

"What? You didn't even answer that question! It doesn't count!"

Lexa shrugged. Did they already have inside jokes? She hadn't even thought about it until Raven said it, but it kind of seemed that way. Friends had inside jokes, though, right? That was one of those "friend things" people did.

"I wouldn't call it an inside joke. It was just a joke."

"Okay, fine." Raven said, backing off. She thought for a moment before asking her last question. "I know O already asked, but what _do_ you think of Clarke?"

Lexa sighed. "Why are you and Octavia so obsessed with finding out?"

"You first," Raven answered. Lexa gave her a pointed look. "I asked first!" She said in defense.

"Like I said, I barely know her. She dented in my locker with her foot, so I can assume she has a strong kick. She's quiet and a little ornery. I don't think she likes me very much." She wasn't sure why she added that last part, but it had slipped out before she really had a chance to stop herself.

Raven grinned. "See? Was that so hard?"

"Yes. Now answer my question and then leave me alone."

Raven laughed. "Okay, fine. O and I just think you deserve to be happy. Clarke is cute, so why not? It's not like we expect you to marry her or anything. I just think you've punished yourself enough, and it's senior year. You should have a little fun."

Lexa didn't respond. She grabbed her book and her notes, and went back to scribbling away. Raven could see the tension between the other girl's shoulders, and the way she clenched her jaw, and so she dropped the conversation entirely. They worked in silence for another thirty minutes, until the P.E. class started walking back toward the gym to change.

"Why Clarke?" Lexa asked out of nowhere. Raven jumped a little in surprise. She hadn't been expecting the silence to be broken.

"What?" It took her a minute to process what Lexa was asking. "I don't know? She's new? I guess it just seemed like the logical course of action. You need a fresh start, she's new, kind of lines up, doesn't it?"

Lexa closed her book and set it aside once again. "What part of I'm not dating until I'm thirty didn't you understand?"

"Oh, come on Lexa, don't be ridiculous."

Lexa jammed her things into her bag and stood up, slinging it over one shoulder. "If you or Octavia get in the way of winning nationals with this nonsense, I will personally murder you both."

She stormed off down the bleachers. Raven watched her go. "I know you only say that out of love!" She yelled after her roommate. Lexa flipped her off once she got to the bottom of the bleachers, and stalked off to her next class.

* * *

By the time they were done with tryouts, Clarke was pretty sure she was going to die. While she hadn't let herself go or anything after quitting soccer last year, running for an entire practice was way different then long walks and occasional yoga. She wasn't so sure she wanted to make the team. Did she really want to subject herself to this torture daily?

It had felt really good to be back on the soccer field again. She hadn't realized how much she missed it. It was comforting in a way she didn't know she had needed until now. Being on the field almost made her feel close to her father again, and as much as it made her heart ache, it was the first time she had found peace since the accident. She was exhausted, and her muscles were going to be sore in the morning, but she couldn't help grinning like an idiot as she limped down the schools winding drive to the bus stop. As absentee as her mother was, Clarke had to give her some credit for knowing what direction to push her in.

She groaned as she saw the bus as she came out of the trees. It was driving away, and she had no energy left to even try to stop it. The next one wouldn't be there for another forty-five minutes. Clarke felt her stomach grumble. "This sucks," she grumbled to herself. She walked over to the bench at the bus stop and slumped down onto it.

She would have walked somewhere to eat while she waited, but she had no idea what was around here. She pulled out her phone to look at her maps app, but Polis had such a big campus, she wasn't sure she could even make it somewhere to eat and back without missing the bus again. The sound of a car pulling up and idling made her look up.

Sitting in the driver's side of an older Volvo station wagon was Lexa. The locked eyes for an intense moment, before Lexa rolled down the passenger side window. "Do you need a ride?" She asked.

Clarke hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling self conscious. Interacting with Lexa during school and soccer practice were a lot more informal than riding in her car one on one. She really didn't want to have to wait another forty-five minutes for the bus, though. It was starting to rain.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Clarke said, grabbing her bags. She threw her stuff into the backseat, before getting in on the passenger side. "Thanks," she said once she was settled. Lexa just smiled and nodded before driving off.

"Where do you live?" She asked, fiddling with the radio as they drove towards I-5. "I'm going to Green Lake."

"Uh, I live off fiftieth street in the University District?" She hoped Lexa knew what to do with that information. She had a general idea of where the apartment was, but she mostly knew how to get around on foot.

Lexa nodded, "That's perfect, actually."

She turned onto the freeway, and they sat in comfortable silence as they drove. The car stereo was playing quietly in the background, and rain pattered on the roof.

"So, do you live in Green Lake?" Clarke asked. She glanced over at Lexa, who was staring stiffly at the car in front of them. Her strategy was to ask questions to keep Lexa from asking her own. She had been perfecting the art with her mother all summer.

"No, I live in the dorms." The brunette answered. "My aunt and uncle live there. They just had a baby, so I'm going over to see them. We're uh, pretty close."

Clarke nodded. "That's cool. Do you like living in the dorms?"

Lexa shrugged. "It's not bad. It suits me just fine. I am only here for school and soccer, so I guess it helps me stay focused."

Clarke chuckled to herself, and Lexa glanced over at her. "What?"

"You sound like a brochure," Clarke said. "What do you do on the weekends for fun? You're friends with Raven and Octavia, right? You guys must do more than homework and soccer practice."

Lexa huffed, and frowned. "I don't have time for distractions, but yes, those two idiots are my friends I suppose."

Clarke laughed again, making the corner of Lexa's mouth to quirk into a small smile. "They seem like fun. Did you all grow up together?"

They slowed down as they got off the freeway, turning left when they got to the end of the off ramp. "No. We met at soccer camp when we were twelve. I've been stuck with them ever since."

Clarke watched the crowded sidewalks and traffic of the University District slide by as Lexa drove. Thinking about how tight knit Lexa's group seemed to be made her miss her old friends back home. She wondered if it would be too late to call Finn once she got home. It would be nice to hear a familiar voice after meeting so many new people today.

She realized almost too late they were passing her street. "Sorry! Turn here!"

They made the turn, but just barely. "Pay attention, Clarke. I can't read your mind," Lexa scolded her.

"Whatever," Clarke grumbled back. "That's our building up there on the right."

Lexa pulled over to the side of the street in front of an older looking brick apartment building. It was weather worn and covered in ivy. Lexa's first thought was that it looked homey. The windows all had a warm light coming from them, and there was something comforting about the sleepy looking houseplants that lined the windowsills of some of the apartments.

"Cute place," she commented.

"Yeah, it's alright," Clarke said, examining the building as she sat in the passenger seat. It was pretty cute. She definitely liked that it wasn't as modern as the rest of the apartment complexes that surrounded them. It had soul. She realized she was lingering as they sat by the curb. "Thanks for the ride. Maybe you can come see the inside sometime."

She wanted to kick herself the second the words left her mouth. They weren't even friends, Clarke barely knew anything about Lexa. There was just something about the other girl, and Clarke wanted to poke and prod until she figured out what it was exactly that fascinated her so much. It had just seemed like the right thing to say in that moment. If today was any indication, they would be seeing a lot of each other over the next year.

"I mean, if you want to, that is." She followed up when Lexa remained quiet. "I don't want to be a _distraction_ or anything."

Lexa laughed, and Clarke couldn't help but smile at the sound of it. It wasn't like her usual sarcastic snorts of laughter, it sounded relaxed, genuine, it made Clarke's heart swell and she was suddenly a little uncomfortable.

"I would enjoy that," Lexa said, breaking the blonde out of her train of thought. "Maybe we can study together, then at least it would be productive."

It was Clarke's turn to laugh now. "I swear I'm going to figure out what you do for fun," she said. She unbuckled her seat belt, opened the door, and got out so she could grab her bags from the back seat. She leaned back into the car once she had all of things. "Thanks again."

Lexa nodded. "Of course. See you tomorrow, Clarke of the Sky People."

Clarke stuck out her tongue at the brunette and slammed the car door. She gave Lexa a small wave before the brunette drove off.

* * *

Both Raven and Octavia were in her room when she got back later that night. They still had an hour until room checks and lights out, so they were both curled up on Raven's bed watching a movie before Octavia had to go back to her room.

"How was Anya's?" Raven asked. "You were gone a lot longer than I thought you would be."

Lexa dropped her book bag on the floor at the end of her bed, and flopped down on it. "Sorry _mom_ ," she responded sarcastically. "Anya and Gus are good. I ended up dropping Clarke off at home before I went to Anya's, so I got there later than I planned to be. Besides, I thought I'd do my homework somewhere else so I didn't have to listen to my roommate make out with her girlfriend."

"Guilty as charged," Raven admitted with a grin. Octavia sat up from where she was laying next to her, and readjusted so she was sitting cross legged on the bed with her back against the wall.

"You gave Clarke a ride home?" She asked and raised her eyebrows. "Look at you, helping out the damsel in distress twice in one day. You're becoming a regular hero, Lex!"

Lexa glared at Raven. "I told you not to tell her."

"You know I can't say no to her," Raven argued in her defense. Octavia only smiled, and pecked her girlfriend on the cheek. Lexa rolled her eyes.

"So...how was it?" Octavia asked. "Did you guys make good use of that backseat?"

"You're unbelievable," Lexa groaned. "I just gave her a ride back to her apartment, O. I barely even know her."

"So? You don't need to know her to hit that."

Lexa gave her a pointed look. "It's honestly a shock to me that you have a serious relationship."

"Well, Raven would have made out with me in the back seat, so it's not that shocking," Octavia argued. Raven laughed, and Lexa just shook her head.

" _If_ I was interested," she said. "And I'm not saying that I am, but _if_ I was theoretically, I don't even know if it would be worth asking her out. She doesn't exactly give off the gay vibe. I'm pretty sure she's straight."

Clarke was nice, and she wasn't afraid of her like a lot of people were, she was just real. There was something about her that made Lexa feel comfortable, and that terrified the brunette. There weren't many people she felt comfortable being herself around. Costia had been the last person she had let into her life, and she had gotten burned in the end. She couldn't do that again. Not now, not after everything that had happened over the last six years. It was probably for the best that Clarke was straight anyway.

"Bullshit," Octavia argued. "There's no way she's straight. Your gaydar sucks anyway."

"Just leave it alone, Octavia," Lexa snapped.

Raven intervened as her girlfriend opened her mouth to respond. "Hey, let's go back to your room to finish our movie," she suggested. She dug some crumpled dollar bills out of her pocket. "You want to grab some snacks from the vending machine, and I'll meet you there?"

Octavia rolled her eyes, but nodded, snagging the money and climbing over Raven. "Yeah, sure. I'm getting Skittles though, and Redvines."

"Anything you want, babe," Raven replied. She waited until she heard the door click shut before she broke the silence.

"You know she only means well," she said.

Lexa sat up from where she was laying on her bed. "She needs to mind her own business."

Raven sighed. "I know she's a little pushy, but you can't just shut yourself off from the word because one bad thing happened."

"One bad thing?" Lexa said, exasperated. "I think you and Octavia know better than anyone that it wasn't just _one bad thing_. How would you feel if everyone you could trust in your life was taken away from you? Who do I have left, Raven?"

"How about _us_ , for starters," Raven shot back. "And Anya and Gus, and Indra, just to name a few."

Lexa clenched her jaw, and turned so she was looking out the windows instead of at Raven. "Just go finish your movie," she said. "I'm sure Octavia is waiting."

Raven stared at her like she wanted to say something else, but in the end she said nothing and instead grabbed a hoodie and her keys. Lexa continued to look anywhere else but at Raven as she slipped on her shoes.

"I'll be back before room checks," she said on her way out.

Lexa just shrugged. She waited until Raven was truly gone to change into sweats and and old soccer hoodie. She pulled out a worn photo album and curled up on her bed with her earbuds in while she looked at it. She was glad Raven had the tact to move to Octavia's room. That was why she always wrote her name down when it came time to fill out housing forms. She flipped through a few of the pages until she got to her favorite. It was a photo of a family vacation they had gone on when she was ten.

They were standing in front of the Paradise lodge at Mt. Rainer. She remembered she had fallen down and skinned her knee while they were hiking, and her father had carried her all the way back to the lodge on his shoulders even though she was bleeding all over his shirt, but at the end of the day it had been one of her favorite trips. Her parents had always been big on taking her into nature. She remembered the wildflowers, and the Pika, and that even though her knee was swollen and stung with every step she took, it didn't stop her from hiking back down to the car, even though her father offered to bring it to them, because she wanted to see the magical waterfall just one more time. What she wouldn't give again to be able to go on a road trip with her parents.

By the time Raven got back just before lights out, Lexa had already gone to bed. She thought she was asleep too, but after their dorm parent came by to check that they were present, and the lights were out, she heard the other girl's bed sheets rustling.

"Sorry I snapped at you earlier," Lexa said.

"It's okay," Raven replied, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. "I'm not mad at you or anything."

She heard Lexa sigh, and shuffle around again before she spoke. "I just...it hit me really hard tonight, seeing Anya and Gus. They're so happy, and Echo is so perfect. It made me miss them."

It wasn't often that Lexa talked about her parents so openly. Raven felt bad for letting Octavia push the Clarke issue so heavily now. Sometimes it was hard to play peace keeper.

"I'm sorry, I should have reigned Octavia in earlier. You going to be okay?"

Lexa didn't respond for a while, and Raven thought she had fallen asleep when she finally spoke again. "I'll be fine."

"Good," Raven replied. She hoped that was truly the case.

They lay in silence for a moment. "I told Octavia to back off about Clarke for a while." Raven said. "So, you owe me. I'm probably not getting laid for at least a day now."

Lexa laughed. "Thanks. I know Octavia only does it because she cares, even if it is possibly the most annoying thing I've ever experienced. I know you care too, so...thanks. Don't expect me to get all mushy about it, though."

It was Raven's turn to laugh now. "God, don't be such a sap. We know you love us, you don't have to make a big deal out of it."

Lexa smiled to herself in the dark. "Shut up. Your incessant talking is keeping me up."

"Whatever. Try not to snore all night."

"Goodnight, Ryes."


End file.
